This is story about Martha, a young woman who was impregnated the day before her betrothed goes off to war, she finds herself alone with a small child on her hands, as her fiancé never returns from the front. She now lives with her parents, her 3 year old son and a younger sister and the parents do not leave any opportunity to remind her, what disgrace she brought to family. When an old fat widower with children comes up with a marriage proposal, the parents are naturally excited and Martha also gives in without a fight. Enter, Lorenzo, an elderly but openly gay man working with village pastor who helps in arranging weddings. With wedding preparations going on, they become friends, and it’s Lorenzo who eventually opens this young woman’s mind and points out the path towards freedom (a typing course in a nearby town), all at a time when women are crowding the country’s town squares, demanding their rights. When Martha's fiancé refuses to allow her to work, she takes matter is her own hands. With help of Lorenzo she starts taking typing classes so that she can get work and move to city for a better life. Of course the mother son finds out and she is almost locked in the house but in a surprise move, her younger sister comes to her help. We also see a little backstory of Lorenzo, who used to have a lover in the same village but when his mother found out, she rushed him to get married and spread rumors about Lorenzo being gay. Eventually Martha finds her way, understands her rights and leaves for Milan for a better future.
I did not know what to expect of this film and I have to say that I quite enjoyed it. The film delivers a realistic and sensitive portrayal of the extreme poverty which was typical of rural southern Italy in the ‘40s, as well as offering a glimpse of a hidden, unsuspected and ahead-of-its-time queer community. We get a hint of few closet cases (including Martha's fiancé) and what was their perception. Also the portrayal of what a family meant in those days is shown beautifully. I really enjoyed the landscapes and the small ways in which Lorenzo helps Martha come out of her shell to become a string independent woman. She sees hope and an opportunity and she takes it. With her as a friend, it also brings a new light into Lorenzo's life, although, towards the end he does say that his time is almost up so he cannot leave the village. It shows how he has accepted his fate. Lorenzo is excellent as a proud man whose difference infuriates the locals – a few of whom are in the closet themselves – and makes him even more determined to stick around. But it’s the actress playing Martha who is the revelation, taking Marta on a journey from resignation to self-determination that is expressed largely in her deep, dark eyes and the set of her mouth. I would straggly recommend watching this film. A string gay character and an even stringer woman lead telling a story of what life was in 40s. (7.5/10)
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